Snubbed truck



Nov. 22, 1955 w. 1... SCHLEGEL, JR 2,724,345

SNUBBED TRUCK Filed Sept. 5, 1951 /I 11 w H/all'er L. sZ /figfifiLeir.

BY 3 1g. 11. W

Patented Nov. 22, 1955 SNUBBED TRUCK Walter L. Sehlegel, In, Chicago, IlL, assignor to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, 111., a corporation of New Jersey i Application September 5,1951, Serial No. 245,179

15 Claims. (Cl. 105-497 This invention relates to railway car trucks and more.

the shoe or shoes at each column. Other snubbed trucks have utilized a plurality of friction shoes associated with the side frame columns, in combination with one or more springs and actuating plates or wedges for transmitting thrust of the springs to the shoes Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to devise a novel snubbing device consisting of three parts, namely, two shoes and one actuating spring so arranged that the spring is effective tourge the shoes against the respective columns under substantially constant pressure during vertical oscillation of thebolster on its supporting springs. 3 i

Another object of the inventionis to devise a snubbing device such as above described, wherein the side frame may be of standard construction and the bolster may be of very simple form withoutthe necessity of providing com plicated wedge surfaces of friction shoehousings therein.

Another object of the invention is to urge the friction. shoes under substantially constant pressure against the.

top and bottom bolster walls to prevent shoe chatter resulting from relative vertical, movement between the bolster and shoes under service conditions.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following specification and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is afragmentary side elevational viewof a freight car truck embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the snubbing device with thebolster and side frame columns shown in horizontal section; r n

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 1, and r r H Figure 4 is a fragmentary view corresponding to Figure 3 but showing a modification of the invention.

Describing the invention in detail and referring first to the preferred embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, the truck comprises a side frame comprising a compression member 2, a tension member 4, and spaced columns 6 defining a central bolster opening 8 and windows 10 adjacent the ends of the frame which are adapted for connection in the usual manner to associated wheel and axle assemblies (not shown). a

A bolster, generally designated 12, is supported within the bolster opening 8 by springs diagrammatically indicated at 14 supported by a spring seat 16 on the tension member 4 at the bottom of the bolster opening 8.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the bolster 12, as best seen in Figure 3, extends transversely of the truck and projects at each end thereof into the bolster opening 8 of the related side frame for support by the springs 14 thereof. In the drawings only one end of the bolster and related side frame and snubbing means are illustrated inasmuch as the corresponding structure at the opposite end of the bolster is preferably identical.

At each side thereof, the bolster is provided with inboard and outboard gibs 18 and 20 loosely confining the columns 6 to accommodate vertical, lateral and out-ofsquare movements of the bolster 12 as are desirable under various conditions of railway service. Between the gibs 18 and 20 at oneside of the bolster the latter is formed with a transverse wall 22 which is preferably substantially vertical and is preferably connected to the top and bottom bolster walls 24 and 26, thereby affording a column structure to reinforce the bolster.

p The inboard side of the wall 22 is frictionally engaged with a friction shoe 25, the outer end of which is engaged with a friction surface 27 on the related column 6,

said friction surface preferably being provided on a wear plate 28 attached to the column in any convenient manner for that purpose. The inner end of the shoe 25 is formed with a wedge surface 30 which, as seen in the top plan view of Figure 2, is disposed diagonally with respect to the longitudinal vertical center plane XX of the bolster 12. The. surface 30, as best seen in the end elevational view of the bolster 12(shown .in Figure 1) also slopes diagonally with respect to the longitudinal vertical.

center plane XX, for a purpose hereinafter described.

The wedge surface 30 of the shoe 25 is engaged with a complementary wedge surface 32 at the inner end of; a friction shoe 25, the outer end of which is engaged with a friction surface 27 on a, wear plate 28 of the related column 6.

Actuating means are provided'for the shoes 25 and 34 in the form of a compression coil spring diagrammatically indicated at 36, the inboard end of said spring being compressed against a bolster spring seat wall or lug 38, and the outboard end of the spring 36 being compressed against the shoe 34 within a pocket 40 thereof. In this connection it will be noted that the compressional axis of the spring 36 is defined by a vertical plane approximately parallel to the vertical center plane of the bolster and to the planes of the column friction surfaces 27.

Thus it will be understood that the spring 36 acting against the friction shoe 34 is efiective to urge the latter upwardly into frictional contact with the top bolster wall 24 and outboardly into frictional contact with the related column surface 27 along the wedge surface 30 of the shoe 25. Also the configuration of the wedge surfaces 30 and 32 are effective to urge the friction shoe 25 downwardly into frictional contact with the bottom bolster Wall 26 and outwardly along the wall 22 into frictional movements of the bolster 12 relative to the side frame are fractionally resisted by the engagement of the shoes 25 and 34 with the top and bottom bolster walls 24 and 26, respectively.

An important feature of the invention resides in the.

arrangement of parts which reduces the components of the snubbing device to a minimum inasmuch as one spring 36 is sufficient to actuate both friction shoes under sub stantially constant pressure against the side frame columns. and against the top and bottom bolster walls.

A modification of the invention is illustrated in Figure 4, wherein parts corresponding to those of the previously described embodiment are identified by corresponding numerals. In the modified'structure the truck and snubbing parts are identical with those of the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 with the exception of the fact that the transverse bolster wall 22 slopes downwardly and outboardly of the bolster 12 to afford a diagonal downwardly and outboardly sloping friction face 42 engaging a complementary face of the shoe 24, thereby further resisting any tendency of the latter to chatter due to relative vertical movement of the bolster 12.

I claim:

-1. In a railway car truck, a side frame having spaced columns with substantially parallel transverse friction surfaces, a bolster spring-supported between said columns, said bolster having a wall extending transversely thereof toward one of the columns, a first friction shoe engaging said column and wall, a second friction shoe engaging the other column, spring means compressed between the bolster and an inboardly facing surface of the second shoe for urging the latter'outboardly toward said wall, and interengaged wedge surfaces on the inner ends of said shoes, said wedge surfaces, as seen in top plan view. being arranged diagonally with respect to said column surfaces whereby said spring urges said first shoe against said wall and urges said shoes against the respective column surfaces.

2. A railway car truck, according to claim 1, wherein the bolster is provided with upper and lower surfaces between the columns, and the wedge surfaces of the shoes slope upwardly toward one column and downwardly toward the other, whereby under the action of said spring one of the shoes is urged against the upper bolster surface and the other is urged against the lower bolster surface.

,3. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising spaced columns having'transverse friction surfaces disposed in approximately parallel planes, a bolster springsupported between said columns, friction shoes housed within the bolster in frictional engagement with respective surfaces, the longitudinal vertical center plane of the bolster being aproximately parallel to the first mentioned planes, said friction shoes having complementary interengaged wedge surfaces arranged diagonally, as seen in top plan view, with respect to said planes, an abutment carried by the bolster, a spring seat carried by the bolster and facing said abutment, one of the shoes bearing against the abutment, said one shoe, as seen in top plan view, tapering from the abutment, and spring means compressed against said seat and the other shoe to urge said wedge surfaces into interengagement and to urge said shoes against the respective column surfaces.

4. A railway car truck, according to claim 3, wherein the spring means are compressed on a compressional axis falling within a vertical plane approximately parallel to the vertical bolster center plane.

5. A railway car truck, according to claim 3, wherein the wedge surfaces slope with respect to the vertical bolster centerplane, whereby the spring means acting against said wedge surfaces urge one of the shoes upwardly into contact with the bolster and'urge the other of the shoes downwardly into contact with the bolster.

6. A railway car truck comprising a side frame member, a bolster member, spaced friction surfaces on the side frame member, friction shoes engaged with respective surfaces, said shoes having directly interengaged wedge faces diagonal with respect to said surfaces, as seen in top plan view, and means for urging said Wedgefaces into interengagement and thereby urging said shoes against the respective surfaces, said means comprising spring means ssoc at d with a least on s f r urg n i Wedge face tightly against the wedge face of the other shoe.

7. In a railway car truck, a frame member having spaced friction surfaces, a bolster member movable with respect to said surfaces, and a friction device carried by the bolster member comprising shoes engaged with respective surfaces, said shoes having directly interengaged wedge faces diagonal with respect to said surfaces, and means for urging said wedge faces into tight engagement and thereby urging said shoes againstthe respective surfaces, said means comprising spring means compressed between the bolster and at least one shoe to urge its wedge face tightly against that of the other shoe.

8. A railway car truck, according to claim 7, wherein the friction surfaces are approximately vertical and the wedge surfaces are diagonal with respect to the longitudinal center plane of the bolster as seen in top plan view and also as seen in end elevational view of the bolster, whereby the shoes are urged upwardly and downwardly, respectively, into contact with the bolster.

9. In a railwaycar truck, a side frame, a bolster springsupported thereby, and friction means for damping oscillations of the bolster comprising friction surfaces carried by the frame, friction shoes carried by the bolster engaged with respective surfaces, said shoes having directly interengaged wedge faces diagonal with respect to said friction surfaces, and means carried by the bolster for urging the wedge faces into engagement with each other, whereby the shoes are engaged with the respective friction surfaces, said last mentioned means comprising resilient means associated with at least one shoe for urging its wedge face against that of the other shoe.

10. A railway car truck comprising a frame member with spaced columns, a bolster therebetween, friction shoes having integral, directly interengaged surfaces diagonally disposed with respect to said columns, said bolster having surfaces facing each other, and spring means compressed between one of the bolster surfaces and one of the shoes for urging said shoes against respective columns and for urging the other of said shoes against the other of said bolster surfaces.

11. A railway car truck, according to claim 10, wherein the interengaged shoe surfaces slope downwardly toward one of the columns, whereby the spring means is effective to urge one of the shoes upwardly into contact with the bolster and is effective to urge the other of the shoes downwardly into contact with'the bolster.

12. A railway car truck comprising a side frame with spaced columns, a bolster spring-supported therebetween, a pair of friction shoes housed in said bolster and engageable with respective columns, said shoes having inboard and outboard sides, a spring compressed betweenthe bolster and the inboard side of one shoe, a wall in said bolster engaged with the outboard side of the other shoe, and directly interengaged surfaces on the inner ends of said shoes disposed diagonally with respect to said columns, as seen in top plan vieW, said other shoe tapering inboardly and said one shoe tapering outboardly, whereby said spring urges said surfaces into interengagement and urges said shoes against the respective columns.

13. A railway car truck comprising a frame with spaced columns, a bolster movably supported between said columns, friction shoes carried by the bolster and engageable with respective columns, said shoes being in direct wedge engagement with each other between said columns along integral surfaces of respective shoes disposed diagonally with respect to said columns, as seen in top plan view, said bolster having an abutment extending transversely thereof and engaging the outboard side of one shoe,.and spring means compressed between the bolster and the inboard side of the other shoe, said surfaces extending from the inboard sides of the shoes outboardly toward a vertical plane which passes through a compressional axis of the spring means.

14. A railway car truck comprising a side frame with spaced columns, a bolster movably supported therebetween, shoes engaged with respective columns and housed within the bolster, spring means compressed between the bolster and the shoe associated with one column, a wall on said bolster engaged with the shoe associated with the other column, and wedge means on said shoes engaged with each other for transmitting thrust of said spring means to said wall and to respective columns.

15; In a snubbing device, the combination of spaced friction surfaces, a member movable therebetween, friction shoes carried by said member in engagement with respective friction surfaces, directly interengaged wedge means on said friction shoes, and spring means compressed against the member and against at least one of the shoes for urging them along said wedge means into engagement with respective surfaces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hamilton Jan. 22, 1952 

